Anybody can attend a Kids Club event, and general manager Rhonda Marion says parents usually come along, too. "I've been in the business for 25 years," she says. "And to see the kids' faces light up and the parents relax is such an important thing." On Kids Club days, a special children's buffet is available for $6.95, while Park Place pays for all the materials used in the craft projects.

Marion brings a wealth of experience to Park Place, which is located at Cali Mill Plaza. She worked at Picante in Berkeley, which is owned by Alice Waters' sister and brother-in-law. (Alice Waters is the world-famous chef of Chez Panisse, also in Berkeley.) Marion also worked for the Paragon Steak House Restaurant Group.

A Bay Area native, Park Place is Marion's first job in the South Bay. She says the months leading up to the opening of Park Place were a good experience. "You can feel when you're wanted in the community. The entire city staff was very cooperative, and former Mayor Sandra James opened a lot of doors for us," she says.

Marion also gives a focus group of Cupertino residents credit for helping to design the menu. "They said they wanted seafood and steaks. We added a little twist," she adds. The weekend brunch menu includes crab eggs benedict, while weekday lunches feature sandwiches and salads. For lunch and dinner there's also Maine lobster raviolis and pan roasted yellowtail. Dinner steps up the steak offerings with Kobe beef tri-tip and filet mignon among the featured items.

Although Park Place has been open less than a year, Marion says it's become so popular that plans are being made to expand the patio bar and dining areas. Right now, there's room for 60 alfresco diners. The patio can also host a cocktail party for 150 people or a small wedding with about 50 guests. Wedding ceremonies are often held in the grassy area of Cali Mill Plaza, which can be reserved two weekends a month.

The interior of Park Place features high booths that almost act as a wall, giving diners a feeling of intimacy. That's important, Marion says, because a lot of high-powered techies are regular customers. Since the restaurant is part of the Cypress Hotel, a lot of out-of-towners stop by, too.

But Marion says, "I think it's a lot of locals who are really expanding our business." Residents of the adjacent Montebello and Vernona Apartment complexes often stroll over. But perhaps the best-known Park Place regular is Ron Cali, whose family once owned the property, which still bears the Cali name.

Park Place is located at the southeast corner of Stevens Creek and De Anza boulevards inside the Cypress Hotel. For more information or reservations, call 408.873.1000. The Park Place website is www.parkplacecupertino.com.